Mondragon University's new medium-voltage laboratory, which will be unique in Spain and a leader in Europe, enters the final phase of construction work
Mondragon University's new medium-voltage laboratory, which will be unique in Spain and a leader in Europe, enters the final phase of construction work
Mondragon University's new medium-voltage laboratory, which will be unique in Spain and a leader in Europe, enters the final phase of construction work
The work is part of FASTAP, an innovative European project carried out by four leading organisations from Denmark, Spain and Germany: Siemens Gamesa, Mondragon University, Infineon and SGB-SMIT.
The work on the Mondragon University medium-voltage laboratory, a project promoted by the consortium formed by the university itself and the companies Siemens Gamesa, Infineon and SGB-SMIT, is nearing completion. The inauguration of the facilities, which will be unique in Spain and a European leader among those of its kind, is expected to take place in December 2022.
This work is part of the FASTAP project, an international initiative organised by these four entities, present in leading wind energy countries such as Denmark, Spain and Germany, and financed by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. The main objective of the programme is to optimise the electrical capacities of wind energy turbines and the companies that make up the consortium are world leaders in their sectors, as well as having extensive experience in similar international cooperation projects.
The transformation of the medium-voltage laboratory will provide a leading European facility of its kind, capable of experimenting with pioneering, cutting-edge technology. The innovative nature of the laboratory's potential performance is unparalleled; few facilities in the world will be as well prepared as this one.
Leading companies worldwide
The entities behind the project have extensive experience of working together and cover the entire value chain for the final FASTAP product to reach the market. Siemens Gamesa, a leading company in the manufacture and maintenance of wind turbines, is the main coordinator of the project. It will be the integrator and validator of the FASTAP product in the Siemens Gamesa 4.X and Siemens Gamesa 5.X platforms through the prototypes that the company has at the CENER Experimental Wind Farm in the Alaiz mountains.
Mondragon University is the most industrially oriented university in Spain and was the first to develop the original technology on which FASTAP is based. It will be responsible for providing the new on-load tap-changing technology for wind turbines. Infineon is the market leader in high-performance bipolar semiconductors and will provide the know-how and commercial capability in thyristor-based semiconductors. Finally, SGB-SMIT, Europe's leading manufacturer in the development of mid-size transformers, will provide the transformer know-how and commercial capability.
A laboratory offering solutions to real needs
In the long term, this commitment by Siemens Gamesa, Mondragon Unibertsitatea, Infineon and SGB-SMIT could completely change the electricity market, which is increasingly in need of renewable energy projects. It would represent a paradigm shift that would bring down the price of electricity and generate high-quality specialised jobs.
The technology developed by the project partners aims to reduce the cost of leveraging wind energy by up to 5.5% and simultaneously achieve a 5% increase in annual production. It also aims to increase energy production while reducing CO2 emissions and associated costs.
In order to validate FASTAP's cutting-edge technology, the consortium has also designed and developed equipment that will make it possible to validate the grid codes relating to the VRT (voltage ride through) transients that wind turbines have to withstand. This will provide equipment capable of generating voltage variations by developing power of up to 7.4MVA.
The laboratory is focused on manufacturers of components in the energy sector, but its target is not limited to this: it will also be able to provide services to manufacturers in the electric mobility industry. As for the renovation process, the civil works have already been completed, as well as the installation of the cooling system required by the various laboratory equipment. All that remains to be done is to lay the wiring and receive some of the equipment that will form part of the infrastructure.
This commitment to promoting technological innovation at the University of Mondragon's Higher Polytechnic School reinforces the industrial profile of the university on the Spanish university scene.